Like your favorite feminine hygiene product, I am now officially sanitary. Or, rather I passed my sanitation test. I had to take this 0 credit class in order to complete my program. The class was roughly 20 hours (mandated by the state). At the end, you get to take the Chicago and Illinois Sanitation Exam which leads to official certification if you pass with a 75% or better.
The test itself is 90 multiple choice questions. (It’s a Scantron form which made me feel happy I no longer have to take standardized tests on a regular basis.) It covers such exhilarating topics as:
- HAACP: As with most acronyms, it’s best not to open that can of worms by asking what it stands for.
- Personal hygiene: It’s exactly what you think it is. The classes taught us all the lovely things we learned in kindergarten—namely wash your hands after you use the bathroom, don’t blow your nose over food, try not to scratch your butt in public. You get the idea.
- Food purchasing, receiving, and storage: Buy good food, inspect your good food, keep your good food in the proper containers.
- Food prep and serving
- Food contamination
- Food-borne illnesses: This was the fun part. There are a gazillion ways that you can get sick from food. It’s really quite depressing. The class taught us how to keep people from getting ill after dining in our establishment. There were lengthy discussions on keeping hot foods hot and cold foods cold, acid levels and how they contribute to the growth or non-growth of bacteria and pathogens, AND my favorite—the stuff you really can’t control but hope that no one gets sick from because it could cause your business to shut down.
- Pest management: After all that fun, we talked about rodents and cockroaches. Then, watched a video or two. Yeah, the gross factor was up there.
As I mentioned before, you really can’t pay too much attention or else you’re never going to want to eat out again. I’m glad I know it all, and it will come in handy if I ever run or work in a food service business. But, seriously… if you want to keep your lunch down, don’t ever look up shigella or yersinia enterocolitica.
